Us Weekly: Charles & William Didn't Think Harry & Meghan Were Dead Set on Their Royal Exit

A historian that has been following the dynamic between the sons of Princess Diana and Prince Charles over the years, claims that they didn’t take Prince Harry seriously when he first talked about stepping back.

British historian and best-selling author Robert Lacey has just released a book titled “Battle of Brothers: William, Harry and the Inside Story of a Family in Tumult” on October 20, and he shared some of his findings with US Weekly.

Talking to the news outlet, Lacey addressed the issue of 36-year-old Prince Harry and his wife, 39-year-old Meghan Markle, stepping back as senior royal back in January and later moving to the US.

NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY

According to Lacey, plans of moving to North America (their original plans were moving to Canada, later switching to the US) go back to before Harry and Markle went public as a couple.

The author continued by sharing that Harry approached his father, Prince Charles, and his brother, Prince William, to discuss his idea of moving to Canada but still maintaining their ties to the crown.

Harry allegedly wanted to represent the Crown on the other side of the Atlantic, but his suggestion was not taken seriously, apparently because neither Charles nor William, actually believed that Harry and Markle were going to go for it.

“They didn’t quite believe they were serious. It’s [like], ‘Put it down on writing paper or chap, you know, sends us an email and we’ll think about it,’” Lacey told US Weekly, parodying how the conversation might have gone.

But beyond what anybody expected, and in spite of the warning signs, Harry and Markle surprised everyone nearly two years into their marriage by announcing their royal exit on January 8, 2020, via the Sussex Royal Instagram account.

ROYAL EXIT AFTERMATH

Following the controversial announcement, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent a few months living in Canada before moving to Los Angeles, California, in March, later purchasing a home in Montecito, California, where they now live with their 1-year-old son Archie.

Five months after stepping down from their official royal duties, Harry and Markle finally became financially independent from Harry’s father, Charles, as People confirmed early in September.

As soon as Harry and Markle stepped down, they started to pay for their security costs themselves, as sources close to the couple shared with the magazine, but they were still receiving financial help for a while.

In a big way thanks to their recently-announced multimillion-dollar deal with Netflix, Harry and Markle can now count on their own income to support the luxury life that they are used to have.

Not only they have already pay for the renovations costs of what remains their UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, estimated at $3 million, but they also continue paying rent for the property.

UPCOMING ROYAL FAMILY REUNION

In addition to Harry and Markle’s big move, the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent restrictions, have also affected the Royal Family, and their members have not been able to be close for a long time.

Early in April, Charles tested positive for the illness and suffered from relatively mild symptoms, which resulted in him having to isolate from his loved ones for months, especially to protect his elderly parents.

In a recent interview, Charles shared how difficult it has been for him to be away from his parents, his children, and his grandchildren for so long, not to mention his friends, even though he regularly uses FaceTime.

The Royal Family is eagerly expecting their Holiday gathering in December, which is a big family tradition, and this year it will serve as a reencounter for the family, with Harry reportedly scheduled to return to the UK for Christmas to meet the Queen and his other relatives.